In the shipping and storage of a disposable inkjet printheads, it is necessary to seal the nozzle plate to prevent the ink from drying out and leaking. A well known method of sealing the printhead nozzle plate is by taping with a low tack tape. In order to improve the print quality, the newest generation of nozzle plate uses a photo-imageable nozzle plate (PINP). The PINP material is substantially more fragile than older generation nozzle plates made from metal or polyimide. The more fragile nature of the PINP often results in damage to the nozzle plate upon removal of the tape.